Closing device for pressure vessels



May 23, 1933. I E FERNHOLZ 1,910,283

' CLOSING DEVICE FOBQPRESS'ILIRE VESSELS Filed June 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l I May 23, 1933.

E. FERNHOLZ 1,910,283

CLOSING DEVICE FOR PRESSURE VESSELS I Filed June 6. 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 23, 1933 unirao STATES PATENT! oFF-ics Application filed June 6, 1932, Serial No. 615,827, and. in Germany February 5, 1938.

This invention relates chiefly to closing devices for pressure vessels, particularly thoseemployed. in plants for the manufacture and discharge of carbonated beverages, though closing devices constructed according to the invention may be used also in connection with. pressure vessels serving other purposes.

Vessels or containers hitherto employed for the storing of gases or liquids under high in pressure were usually steel cylinders and provided with valves which permitted filling, closing and discharging under high pressure. If the contents of the vessel had to be discharged under reduced pressure a reducing valve was connected with the cylinder valve for adjusting working pressure at will, the reducing valve being fitted, as a rule, with two pressure gauges and a safety valve.

With respect to numerous uses the arrange- Be ment described, which is universally employed, sufiers, however, from serious drawbacks which could not be eliminated until now. For example, the stufiing boxes of the cglinder valves are often leaky, and, since t e point of juncture between the cylinder valve and the reducing valve is exposed to high pressure, it constitutes another source oi losses. Furthermore, the arrangement is entirely too large, too unhandy, too hea and too expensive for certain purposes, suc

as the production of carbonated beverages at home or for oxygen breathing and inhaling apparatus where the greatest possible saving in weight and space must be effected or for fire extin uishing outfits operated by carbonic aci in small bottles and required to be kept tight for years or for transporting living fish by means of oxygen where absolute tightness of the apparatus concerned is of utmost importance.

The invention eliminates all these defects by providing a closing device consisting of a valve for pressure vessels, particularly steel cylinders, which constitutes a combination of a cylinder and reducing valve and which may be used simultaneously for filling and closing the vessel and for discharging the contents of the vessel under full or reduced vessel pressure.

9 Another object of the invention is a plant for the production and discharge of carbonated beverages comprising a container for the beverages, a pressure cylinder filled with carbon-dioxide and a oonnectin conduit be tween the container and the c der, which may be attached and remove at will. The pressure cylinder is provided with the valve 1 closing device according to the invention.

which is screwed into the vessel; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the beverage container of a plant for the production and discharge of carbonated beverages, and of the closure of the container; Fig. 3, a. section on the line A-B, of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4, a view of the entire plant for the production and discharge of carbonated bevel-a s.

Referrin to the rawings, into the neck of the stee cylinder 1 is screwed, with a conical packing, the casing 2 which carries the inlet and outlet 13 and has a pi -like extension 3 projecting inside the cylin er for a distance amounting to a few centimeters. The extension 3 serves to prevent the entraining of rust particles or other impurities. A check valve 5 having a packing ring 6 is guided with its angular and slightly protruding shaft 18 in the bush 4 which is tightly screwed to the casing 2 containing the cover 7 screwed in 'so as tobe highressure-proof and being limited downward y by a collar. The casing 2 is provided with a chamber 8 which can be connected with the inside of the cylinder -1 by the check valve 5 and which opens into the inlet and outlet 13. One of the walls of the chamber 8 is formed by a thin steel diaphragm 9 which partly rests on a packing ring 15 and partly is in direct contact with the mside of the cover 7. The

screwing depth of the cover 7 is chosen so that the ring 17 is compressed sufliciently to pack tightly and the diaphragm 9 will simultaneously be ad'acent approximately to the projecting shan of the check valve 5. In the longitudinal bore of the cover 7 a spiral spri 12 is guided which carries on the ins1de t e spring extremity shoe 10 and on the outside the pressure pin 14:, the shoe 10 in the cover 7 being arranged so that one of its end faces is flush with the inner cover surface when its other end face firmly hugs the edge 16 in the cover 7. The pin 14 has a collar 7 and extends for a distance inside the spring 12 and, outwardly beyond the cover 7 up to the bottom of the thrust screw 11.

The valve functions as follows:

During the fillin of the steel cylinder the high pressure gas ows through the connection 13 into the chamber 8 and thence through the check valve 5, which offers no resistance in one direction of flow, into the cylinder 1. When the filling pressure ceases the cylinder pressure will automatically close the check valve tightly and firmly. The thin diaphragm 9 cannot be damaged by high pressure during the fillin operatlon, since it closely hugs the cover and the spring shoe 10 and is thus not exposed to stresses. The packing of the casing 2 by the ring cannot be interfered with by the high pressure which will press the rin only more tightly into its closed bearing. 0 reserve the packin ring 6 as long as possib e the closed check va ve 5 is not subjected to the full cylinder pressure. If soft rubber is used for instance for the valve size shown a load of a few kilos will sufiice, the considerably higher residual load at full cylinder pressure bein rendered harmless by supporting the chec valve 5. In the embodiment illustrated the angular valve rod 18 will be supported by the diaphragm 9 already at a load of a few kilos and thus transmit the excess pressure to the firm cover 7.

If gas is to be taken out pf the cylinder under constant reduced pressure, the thrust screw 11 is tightened to compress the spring 12 which with its shoe 10 resses against the diaphragm 9 which lifts the check valve 5 so I that as can flow out. When the pressure in sel s, the thrust screw 11, is

the c amber 8 has reached a certain de ee, the, diaphragm 9 is, however, ressed ack whereby the check valve 5 will closed and the discharge of s be stopped. The amount of this pressure ep'ends on the tension of the spring 12, i. e., on the position of the thrust screw 11.

If gas is to be discharged under full cylinder pressure while, for example, being transferred from a larger container to smaller vestightened until the in 14 presses directly against the spring shoe 0 to eliminate the action of the sprin 12. As the diaphragm 9 cannot be pressed ack .maximum pressure has been exceeded.

Fig.4 shows a plant for the production and discharge of carbonated beverages, and comprises a steel cylinder fitted with the valve 19 just described, a pressure vessel 20 for the beverage and an easily attachable and removable connectin conduit 21 for the two vessels 1 and 20. wing to the simple construction of the valve 19, which permits the filling and closing of the cylinder 1 as well as the removal of its contents under full or reduced pressure, the plant is chea and easy to operate and therefore excellent y adapted for home use and small-scale operation.

The container 20 is provided with a closing head 22 which is packed relative to the container opening by the ring 23. The member 22 is held in position by a movable strap 24: and a ball 25 adapted to be displaced on a straight portion of the strap 24 whereby closure resistant to pressureis insured. In closing position, the ball 25 rests in the concave bearing surface 26 of a nut 27 which is screwed on to a threaded pin 28 of the mem ber 22. As the ball 25 is displaceable relative to the strap 24 and the latter is rotatably secured in the ring 29 vertically to the direction of motion of the ball 25, the combination of the two motions will compensate any inaccuracies in fitting the ball 25 and the surface 26 in any direction. If the nut 27 is screwed down, the strap 24, as shown in Fig. 2, may be moved towards the onlooker so as to permit the removal of the member 22 to fill the container 20 with the desired beverage.

' The closing member 22 contains the shutoif valve 30 and the discharge pi e 31 which serves also as supply conduit or the carbonic acid gas. Liquid contained in the vessel 20 is, durin the removal of carbonic acid gas, pressed t rough the riser 32 into the member 22 and thence through the valve 30 into the pipe 31.

The valve 30 is shut oif by turnin the nut 33 whereby the valve rod 34 is cause to press the elastic diaphragm 35, which may consist of rubber, on to the seat 36 which contains the openings of the conduit 32a communicating with the riser 32 and of the conduit 31a communicating with the pipe 31. The diaphragm is secured in the member 22 by the cap nut 37 serving also as guide for the rod 34 and for-fastenmg the nut 33.

Aftei' the nut 33 has been unscrewed the. liquid or gas will press against the diaphragm 35 which preses against the valve rod 34 so that the letter presses outwardly against the nut 33 until a projection of the rod 34 hugs a corresponding face of the cap'nut 37.

The pressure vessel 20 and the closing member 22 as well as the parts connected therewith consist preferably of oxidized aluminum.

I cleim l. A device on pressure vessels, particularly steel cylinders, adapted to close the vessel and to permit the filling of it and the discharge of its contents at full or reduced pressure, comprising a casing with a chamber and a check valve connecting the chamber with the inside of the vessel, one well of the chamber consisting of e diaphragm connected, on one side, with the check valve and adopted to open the velveend, on the other side, huggin a supporting face and adapted to be loe ed by an adjustable spring, the chamber opening into an inlet and outlet.

2. A device on pressure vessels, particularly steel cylinders, adopted to close the vessel and to permit the fillin of it and the discharge of its contents at oil or reduced pressure, comprising a casing with a cover that can be screwed in up to a stop, a, chamber and it check valve connecting the chamber with the insideoi the vessel, one wall of the chamber consisting of u diaphragm connected, on one side, with the check valve and adopted to. open the valve, and, on the other side, hugng the cover of the casing end adopted to e loaded by an adjustable spring, e pecking ring between the diaphr end the opposite wall of the chamber, the chember opening into an inlet and outlet,

3. A device on pressure'vessels, particularly steel cylinders, adapted to close the vessel end to permit the filling of it end the discharge oi'its contents at full or reduced pressure, com rising e casing with e screw-in cover, it c ember opening into an outlet and e checlr velve connecting the chamber with the inside or" the vessel, one well of the chember consisting of odiephrogm connected, on one side, with the check valve and sdepted to open the velve end, on the other side, hugging the cover of the casing, the cover containing e sp a shoe in contact with the disphregm end surrounding the lower end of the said spring, and e screw adapted to coinpress the sold spring.

4; A device on pressure vessels, particularly steel cylinders, adapted to close the vessel and to permit the fill" or it end the discherge of its ntents ct oil or reduced pressure, comprising a casing with e screw-in cover, e chsmber opening into an outlet and e check valve connecting the chamber with the inside of the vessel, one wall of the chamber consisting of a. diaphragm connected, on one side, with the check valve and ads. ted to open the valve and, on the other side, ugging the cover of the casing, the casing containmg a spring, a shoe in contact with the die; bra and surrounding the lower end of t c said spring, a bolt within the spring and resting with a stop partly on the upper end of the said spring and partly on a collar of the cover, and a screw adapted to displace the said bolt and thus to tension the spring.

5. A device on pressure vessels, perticulsrly steel cylinders, adopted to close the vessel and to permit the filling of it end the dis charge of its contents at full or reduced pressure, comprising a casing with a screw-in cover, at chamber opening into an outlet and a check valve connecting the chamber with the inside of the vessel, one well of the chember consisting of a diaphragm connected, on one side, with the check valve and eds ted to open the valve and, on the other side, ugging' the cover of the casing, the cover containing a spring, a shoe in contact with the diaphragm and surrounding the lower end of the said spring, e bolt inside the spring and resting with a stop portly on the upper end of the said spring and partly on e collsr of the cover, a screw adapted to displace the said bolt and thus tension the spring, the bolt being of such a length as to strike the said shoe and to displece it directly after the spring has been tensioned to a predetermined degree.

6. A device on pressure vessels, particularly steel cylinders, adopted to close the vessel and to permit the fillin of it end the discharge of its contents at lhll or reduced prw sure, comprising a casing with a chamber opening into on inlet and outlet, at check valve connecting the chamber with the inside of the vessel, and s pipev connection extending into the vessel andleading to the said check valve, one well of the chamber consisting oi-s diaphragm connected, on one side, with the check valve and ads ted to open the valve, and on the other side, hugging s'supportin surteoe and adopted to be loaded by an e justable spring.

'3', A plant for the production and discharge of carbonated beverages comprising,

in combinstion, a beverage container with a closing valve, a pressure cylinder: filled with carbonic acid and s connectuhle end removsble conduit between the beverage container end the pressure cylinder, the pressure oyl inder being provided with a device adopted to close the pressure cylinder and to permit the filling of the pressure cylinder and the discharge of the contents thereof at full or reduced pressure, the device consisting of a casing with a chamber opening into the inlet and outlet and ucheclr-velveconnecting the chamber with the inside of the cylinder, one wall of the chamber consisting of e diephragm connected, on one side, with the check valve and adapted to open the valve and on and adapted to be loaded by an adjustable spring.

8. plant for the production and discharge of carbonated beverages, comprising, in combination, a beverage container with a closing valve, a pressure cylinder filled with carbonic acid and a connectable and removable conduit between the bevera e container and the pressure cylinder, the c osing valve of the said beverage container being disposed in a removable closing head held in position by a movable strap secured to the beverage container, the strap having a straight portion with a ball displaceable thereon and the closin head carrying an adjustable nut having a ring surface for the said ball on thestraight portion of the strap.

9. A plant for the production and discharge of carbonated beverages, compri in combination, a beverage container wit a closing valve, a pressure cylinder filled with carbonic acid and a connectable and removable conduit between the beverage container and the pressure cylinder, the closing valve of the said beverage container consisting oi adisc made of elastic material and hugging on one side a seat and a displaceable pressure member and on the other side a seat face containing openings of the conduit leading into the beverage container and of the con- 1 duit leading to an inlet and outlet connection. In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

ERNST FERNHOLZ. 

